GroupWise and NetWare for Small Business

So, youre sitting around at work,
minding your small business, and you suddenly realize: Hey, what
this place needs is a network. (It could happen. Sort of a psychic
thing.) Then you say to yourself: But along with the network, we
need an e-mail software package than runs on Windows 3.1, Windows 95,
Windows NT, and Macintosh clients. At this point Boonie, your
ever-faithful (eavesdropping) manservant, points out that such a dreamy
network should also allow you to do the following:

Run everything on a single server.

Be easy to install and use.

Use a directory service to provide integrated management of all
network resources.

Include a tool with graphical step-by-step directions for adding
users, groups, printers, and applications to the network.

Include Internet access and web publishing capabilities.

Automate the process of software distribution.

Allow the options of any Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Provide an easy upgrade path to a larger network should the
companys requirements change.

Boonie concludes by telling you that Novells NetWare for Small
Business 4.11 (NWSB) does all these things, and more. He also mentions
that your company is a perfect candidate for NWSB because its a
single-site business with 25 or fewer network users.

You give Boonie a puzzled look, mostly because you didnt know
he could talk, then you say, But what about the e-mail?

Thats where we Cool Solutions folk come in. We know e-mail.
(By now you should already be aware of this, or were just not
doing our jobs.) And since Cool Solutions is comprised of hundreds of
pages detailing GroupWise, we wont reiterate its virtues ad
nauseam (although we may be too late). We will, however tell you about
some of the differences between installing GroupWise 5.2 regularly and
installing it as part of the NetWare for Small Business (NWSB)
package. (Well also throw in some stuff about NWSB, just to keep
you on your toes.)

Installation & NEAT First off, a single NWSB installation program installs both
GroupWise and the network, so installation is fast and straightforward
for anyone with basic networking experienceless than 50 minutes
if you hustle. Plus, when you install GroupWise 5.2 from NWSB, many
things (domain, post office, config files, etc.) are automatically set
up and configured for you. The GroupWise domain and post office names
are based upon the server name. And files are always placed in certain
directories (SYS:\grpwise, SYS:\mail\gwdom\gwpo, SYS:\system, etc.).

The GroupWise Small Business Agent NLM is also installed in the
process. What the Small Business Agent NLM does is monitor
creation/modification events made in NEAT and synchronizes them with
GroupWise. Whats NEAT, you ask? Well, lots of things are neat,
like luncheon meat that includes real ham, waterproof
mascara, and biking shorts. But were talkin about
something really neat: the Novell Easy Administration Tool.

Not only does NEAT make it simple for you to add and delete network
users, printers, groups and applications, but it includes graphical,
step-by-step directions that guide you through administrative tasks.
And you dont have to maintain separate network and messaging
systems because NEAT lets you manage both GroupWise and the network
from a single point. So youll maximize administrator
productivity and minimize administration costs. In addition, the
Novell Application Launcher (NAL) automates application management and
distribution without requiring a network manager to waste time
visiting and customizing each users computer configuration.

You could always install the full version of GroupWise, but you
would not have the synchronization with NEAT. You would also have to
use NetWare Administrator to add and remove users. And you would have
to be more knowledgeable of how networks work and how GroupWise is set
up, whereas NetWare for Small Business sets up and configures
GroupWise as much as it possibly can for you.

NetWare Connect Once GroupWise has been installed, e-mailing at work will be
nice and fine. But what happens if you work on the road or from home?
You still need to read your e-mail like the rest of us, regardless of
you location, right? Never fear, we have a solution: NetWare Connect.
With NetWare Connect (which is included with NWSB), any employee,
supplier, or customer you authorize can access the network from any
location using any Windows, DOS, or Macintosh computer. In other
words, you can access your GroupWise Mailbox from practically anywhere
you plug in your laptop.

And speaking of remote access, NWSB also allows service technicians
or resellers (whom youve already authorized) to monitor your
network remotely and even diagnose and correct most network problems
without going on-site. So you get faster, more affordable service and
support.

Internet Access Another groovin thing about NWSB is that it includes a
multi-protocol router (MPR) that allows for dial-up connections to the
Internet (sharing modems and lines via NetWare Connect). This means
you can send and receive Internet e-mail from your GroupWise Mailbox
as well as browse the Web with Netscape Navigator, one of the
industry-leading web browsers (which is included with NWSB as a
special treatkind of like the pudding snack or twinkie your mom
used to pack in your school lunch). Plus youll save money
because you, Boonie, and the rest of your staff can share modems and
phone lines to connect to the Internet. Oh, and one more thing: with
Internet access, network users can connect to Novells web sites
and read GroupWise and NetWare documentation to their hearts
desire. In other words: you get free, printable documentation! (in
addition to the already free online Help).

Backup and Anti-Virus Products To protect your data, NWSB comes with premium (and perky) backup
and anti-virus products. A five-user version of Computer Associates
ARCserve 6.1 is included with NWSB and is the number-one selling
backup/restore and disaster recovery product for NetWare world-wide. A
loss of key data could prove devastating for a small business. (Like
the time Boonie set the filing cabinet on fire and burnt all your
customer files. Okay, maybe not.) But with ARCserve, you can be
assured of rapid recovery time in the event of hardware problems or
data loss. And with a step-by-step cue-card interface, its
as-easy-as-pie to administer. (By the way, if you have more than
5-users, a 30-day time trial is automatically installed.)

Most businesses will do just about anything to avoid computer
viruses. (Actually, if theres a business that welcomes them, wed
like to meet these wacky folk, just to see what true simpletons look
like. We have our suspicions.) Something as small as a download from
the Internet could cripple your entire network. Computer Associates
InocuLAN will detect viruses, and like ARCserve, its included
with NWSB. InocuLAN scans files in real time, as theyre
accessed, without interrupting users while they work. And combined
with ARCserve, youll have the fastest virus-free backups
available.

Network Faxing Usually it takes ten minutes to send a fax. Ten minutes you
could be doing something else, for example, taking a brisk sit in your
cubicle. But with FAXserve 5, you can employ an easy-to-use Windows
interface to send faxes directly from your desktop computer. This way,
you wont have to stand up at all during the day, unless of
course yours one of those people who actually likes blood to
circulate. (Hey, we just free up your time; we dont tell you
what to do with it.) FAXserve has been certified to run with over 100
leading modems and communication devices, and a 2-user version is
included with NWSB.

Pay as You Grow With nodal licensing, you purchase the exact number of
connections you need. And you can add users to the network as your
business growseven one at a time. And if your business happens
to grow large enough (over 25 users) that you need to upgrade to
NetWare, youre set because NWSB is based on NetWare 4.11 and a
version of Novell Directory Services (NDS) optimized for small
business, so any upgrade to NetWare will be smooth and affordable.

System Requirements If any or all of this sounds appealing to you (which it should),
heres what youre going to need to start the ball rolling.
And just a note to keep in mind: NWSB 4.11 has fewer hardware
requirements and a much lower price than competitive small business
offerings.

Server

Minimum recommended processing power: 486 processor or higher.

Minimum recommended memory: 32 MB RAM.

Server disk space: 500 MB hard disk space for NWSB.

CD-ROM drive.

Server adapters: more than 60 different adapters have been
tested and approved for use.